Birthday Dinner

When I was growing up, my mom would make us whatever we wanted (within reason) for dinner on our birthday.  I have continued that tradition.  When the kids were small, I found this plate — they were all the rage for awhile.  I’m sure if my mother had known about them when we were still at home, she would have bought one.  She loved that sort of thing.

Brett wanted berry cobbler for his birthday dinner dessert.  He isn’t much of a cake person.  The kids always wanted chocolate cake with bananas between the layers and lots of chocolate whipped cream frosting.  It’s the cake I always had when I was a kid, too.  My mom used a boxed cake mix (we got to pick that out, too: chocolate sour cream, or devil’s food, or double chocolate; so hard to decide).  She whipped cream and added Nestle Quik to make it chocolate.  I cleaned the bowl with my fingers, while my brother and sister licked the beaters.  Brett has been looking at his cobbler all afternoon (apples and blackberries) and saying, “that cobbler sure looks good.”

The main course is always the same for Brett’s birthday.  Barbecued baby back ribs and potatoes.  No salad, no vegetables.  It’s his birthday so he can do that.  This is the guy who orders dinner in restaurants and says, “can I have a double portion of potatoes instead of the veggies?”

My daughter, Camille, always asks for the same thing too: tuna casserole and artichokes.  Kyle, my son, is the adventurous eater and I don’t think he has ever asked for the same thing twice.  One year we had fondue with all kinds of different meats, including bison and ostrich.  That was fun.

And, bread.  They all request homemade bread.  I’m very pleased with this loaf.

Kyle’s girlfriend, Ana, gave me a bread cookbook from the bread master of San Francisco for Christmas.  I used it for Brett’s bread and I can say that is the best bread book that I have — and I have quite a few.

For your birthday dinner, what would be on the menu?